How to improve the Tour

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Replace support cars with electric cargo bikes carrying spare bikes themselves, or in trailor behind.

 

[Evil_Breakfast]

Anything they try seems to end being a pointless gimmick (like that gridded mountain stage)

If you throw enough cack; something will, eventually, stick.
TNT viewers consumers will, no doubt, lap up the spectacle of Moulin Rouge can-can dancers during next years finale.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

One bike per rider for the whole 21 days, no changing gearing between stages. Wreck it and you are out

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Final stage, set them off depending on their time differences. In yellow and 4 minutes ahead? Get a 4 minute head start.

First person over the finish line takes the win.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Make it all fixed gear bikes.Choose a single gear ratio for full tour.

 

[rich p]

Come to think of it, the surreal Kirby experience would probably be little changed by helium.

Over-excitable Hatch would be much better. Especially if accompanied by Sean Kelly breathing xenon, which would deepen his voice.

I know I shouldn't go on but did you hear him praising Roglic's attack as being "quite frankly, fabulous, and why not. Don't you agree, Robbie? "
McEwan... "No, Carlton, poor form and should be assisting Lipowitz etc"
CK... Totally agree, Robbie, and risking endangering the white jersey too...

 

[mjr]

One bike per rider for the whole 21 days, no changing gearing between stages. Wreck it and you are out

Make 'em pack and carry all their luggage too. Call it a tour, eh?

Also, stages are still timed, but the clock starts at the end of breakfast service, so they have to decide whether it's more important to keep eating or to save some packing/loading time, a dilemma familiar to cycle-tourists.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

I quite like the idea of riders signing up to one jersey competition ahead of the Tour.

The potential problem would be making it obvious during the race, for racers and spectators.

A coloured band around middle of torso and all of arm sleeves on jersey, when not leading the competition?

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Make it all fixed gear bikes.Choose a single gear ratio for full tour.

That's harsh. Even back in the fixie days they were able to change gear - albeit by taking the back wheel out and turning it around (a different gear size either side of the wheel).

 

[Dogtrousers]

I could be wrong but I seem to remember that the period of fixed-only in the TdF was quite short. Maybe one or two tours and some isolated stages. Desgrange ranted on about how freewheels made riders soft but they were soon widespread.

I could look it up before posting inaccurate blather but where's the fun in that.

 

[mjr]

I could look it up before posting inaccurate blather but where's the fun in that.

That's the motto of Google AI, isn't it?

 

[matticus]

It must be a racing certainty that the Montmatre modification will be seen again, whether next year or not. I hope that next time conditions are good and that times contribute to GC as intended.

The change I would propose is to designate the final sprint before the first Montmatre ascent as a flying stage. This is effectively the same as an intermediate sprint, but given the status of a full stage. There is precedent as flying stages were used in 1977 and 1978, not that most accounts will tell you this. Stage 21 in 1978 technically had three winners - Freddy Maertens at Soissons, Wilfried Wesemael at Compiègne and Jan Raas at Senlis where the day's entertainment concluded. Unsurprisingly the public didn't take to the concept and it was not seen again. Valid idea, wrong time and place perhaps?

I'd never heard of these. What fun!

As you probably know, GC times DID count at the 50km-to-go mark, so for GC purposes that point was "a flying stage". I think.
Are you suggesting that Sunday should be TWO stages?

(Flying Stages sound bonkers-but-fun. 1 problem could be that if you get far enough ahead, 1 attack could earn you two stage wins! But is this really a problem?? Don't know ... it's a bit like track racing, where laps are gained, but races carry on regardless.
Those races are often bonkers and impossible to follow :P )

 

[matticus]

Anyway, back to sensible, useful suggestions:
Devil-Take-The-Hindmost rules. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_race )

 

[matticus]

Given the success of the women at football, let them in as well. They're more hungry for it.

I sadly missed the final, but luckily BBC news keeps playing the key audio clip:
who is that marvellous woman that screams out the commentary? Go home Ned Boulting, get her in!!!

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Anyway, back to sensible, useful suggestions:
Devil-Take-The-Hindmost rules. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_race )

It's been done, when riders started seriously contesting the Lanterne Rouge as it was earning them a fortune on the post Tour crit circuit.